Transformers: New World
by IsaacJamesCreative
Summary: Transformers: New World is a re-imagination of the TF concept and characters in a more realistic sci-fi setting, and is aimed at an older audience. As a child I was a fan of the Transformers G1 cartoon series and the animated movie, but my way of telling their story is inspired by classic science-fiction works - the Odyssey series by Arthur C. Clarke in particular.
1. Transformers: New World, Chapter 1

NOTE: The following excerpts are taken from declassified transmissions which were originally intercepted by Earth's satellite networks prior to first contact. At the time the human race had no way of interpreting these signals – they were translated only recently, with the assistance of certain allied parties. All numbers and names have been converted to the nearest versions in English.

EXCERPT #01:

"I've found something interesting, Prime* - after travelling for more than a thousand cycles, my mission has brought me to a small solar system in the galaxy Kaleron-5. The planets revolving around this star are uninhabited – except for one.

The third planet harbours life, but not as we know it – organic life, Prime! Life like we've only ever heard of in myths back home – think of the possibilities! I am relaying this message urgently to the nearest node of the entangled Secure Grid – what are my orders?"

**PRIME:** "Promising news indeed, my Friend – the other scouts have uncovered various planets with potential for terraforming, but you are the first to report signs of life on a new world. Our mission prerogative is still to seek out new resources, but I am changing your own objective to reconnaissance for now. From your vantage point, can you see a way to study the planet and its inhabitants more closely?"

**Scout:** "The life forms are sufficiently advanced to have launched their own satellites and spacecraft – though the technology itself is primitive in comparison to ours, it is clear that any unauthorised entry into their domain might be easily detected. However, the very age of their technology presents us with an opportunity. I am transmitting a schematic based on a preliminary long-range scan so you can see for yourself."

(NOTE: The data transmitted by the Scout could not be converted to any meaningful visual information by our computer systems, but our allies were able to show us that it represented a highly complex wireframe schematic and breakdown of one of the larger man-made satellites in Earth orbit.)

**PRIME:** "Interesting – so you recommend approaching by stealth? That might actually work. Very well – make your plans and proceed when ready."

A few Earth days later ...

**Scout:** "I'm going in, Prime. You should have received my approach vector and contingency plans by now. I can hardly wait – this could be the beginning of a whole new age! But I have to ask – you've heard the legends and the stories too, right? Some of them could be true, after all – you don't suppose these life forms could be related to ..."

(NOTE: For reasons unknown, our allies have been reticent to translate a brief segment of text at the end of this transmission from the Scout. Best guess – information pertaining to a cultural / military secret that they are unwilling to share with us, for now at least.)

**PRIME:** "Don't let your judgement be clouded by myths – we must investigate further. But proceed with caution – new intelligence suggests that our enemies may have found a way to listen in on the secure grid. If this is true, then they may already know about your discovery too. I don't have to remind you that they wouldn't be quite as tactful should they choose to make their own approach."

**Scout:** "Loud and clear, Prime. Radio silence until further notice."

* '**Prime**' is our closest translation of the designation proffered upon leaders in their society


	2. Transformers: New World, Chapter 2

NOTE: The following part of the story is based on a variety of reports released only recently, including eyewitness accounts as well as the Scout's own findings and recollections.

SOMEWHERE IN SOUTH AMERICA:

That day, a young man named Miguel Cortez had left home early to make the long trek through the forest to the next village, a few kilometres away. He had been charged with carrying an important message to the neighbouring chief, and he wanted to complete the task and get back before sunset.

He was following a well-worn track, with many natural and man-made markers to guide him along his way. The arrival of the military in this region a few years ago, with their sprawling base and growling vehicles, had changed the landscape significantly, but thankfully they hadn't forayed this far into the forest yet.

The villagers had grown used to the whirring of machinery in the distance, and the whining of planes and drones overhead. As he walked along, he occasionally heard those same familiar sounds – but something was a little _off_ today, and he couldn't put his finger on what it was. He'd first had the feeling a little after entering the cover of the forest, and the strange sensation had only grown stronger as he moved further in. What was it? Nothing _seemed_ out of the ordinary as he followed the familiar landmarks along his usual route – the occasional noise from the army base was actually quite reassuring, but there weren't any other unusual sounds ...

Miguel froze in his tracks. That was it! That was what had been bothering him all along – there were no unusual sounds around him, because there were no other sounds _at all!_ Normally when someone walked through the forest, or vehicles drove close by, they would have been greeted by the usual cacophony of calls, cries and rustles from the local flora and fauna. But today, there was _nothing!_

His senses were suddenly on high alert, and now he couldn't shake the feeling that the forest around him seemed to be holding its breath in anticipation. But why? He pressed on cautiously, trying to stick to the shadows and making as little noise as possible. Whatever he and the forest were being wary of, he didn't want it to see or hear him first.

After a few minutes of this, he realised he was probably being silly – there were all kinds of reasons the world in these parts might be quiet for a bit, and he was allowing his imagination to get carried away. He'd just about convinced himself that he was making it all up, when he heard the rustle and cracking of a branch further up the path.

In an instant he was back in the shadow of the trees, creeping in the direction the sound had come from – this area wasn't known to have any wild animals large enough to be breaking branches, and his sense of foreboding had returned with a vengeance.

Suddenly, up ahead – a movement! But _what?_ There was nothing there! It took him a moment before he realised what he had seen – the path curved behind a line of trees, and something around the curve was casting a rather large shadow on the ground. Now he could clearly see the patch of shade moving, but he was too far away to make out what was causing it. Every muscle in his body was primed to run for his life, but sheer curiosity kept him moving forward. The creature – at least he assumed that was what it was – wasn't making noises like an animal, but he could make out mechanical whirring and clicking sounds against the backdrop of a faint hum which buzzed louder in his ears as he drew closer. Perhaps it was just a piece military equipment after all?

He picked up his pace as the massive shadow slowly began to recede. But the excitement had made him careless, and he stepped on a dry twig which snapped so loudly he was sure the military base would have picked it up on their sensors. He, and everything around him, stood stock-still for a fraction of a second; then suddenly, the world around him exploded into life again!

The creature had heard him, and was clearly making a dash for cover – the sudden movement and the dull thudding of the earth had alarmed the birds and the forest creatures, and everyone was calling out sharp warning signals as they scrambled for their lives. Now Miguel was convinced – this was clearly no military vehicle! Why would they want to hide this far inside the forest?

Emboldened, he was now running to the point where the path curved away – but when he turned the bend, there was nothing there to be seen. The ground had been disturbed in places, and large divots had been kicked up where something heavy had rested and then abruptly taken off. Ahead, one section of the track forked off into the woods, and the leaves above it were still trembling – he couldn't help but think that whatever had passed through there had scared the trees as it went.

His fear was beginning to get the better of him now. As he approached the trees, he heard the faint whirring and clanking sounds again, and then ... all was silent. He paused, undecided, before finally taking a few tentative steps along the darkened path that led deeper into the forest.

It was easy to follow the tracks left in the creature's wake – large sections of foliage and branches had been brushed aside or broken as it rushed past. At some point it must have crouched into its run though, because the cross-section of the damage kept getting smaller and narrower, until suddenly he was in a small clearing – and up ahead, under a makeshift canopy of branches and leaves, was a large vehicle of some sort, almost hidden from view in the dim light.

As he drew nearer, he could tell it was old – abandoned, perhaps? - and covered in dried mud and dirt. But he was puzzled – there were no tyre tracks leading up to the vehicle, so how had it driven there? And even though it looked so old and dirty, the branches that had been hastily thrown over it for cover were fresh. But there were no footsteps leading to or from the vehicle either, so who had tried to hide it so recently? And where were they now? Had this been the creature's work, whatever it was?

Miguel wrestled with these questions – among others – as he walked around the machine and moved aside some of the branches on it to get a better look. The windows were hard to see through, but he could tell there was definitely no one in there. His uneasiness wasn't helped by the fact that while he stared at the vehicle, he couldn't shake the feeling that it was looking back at him just as intently.

He kept walking around it, and when he brushed aside the dirt covering the grill up front, he could faintly make out the letter H, then U, two M's, E, R, another H and an X. He tried to shape the letters into something recognisable in his mind – he was sure he'd seen them on the vehicles from the military compound, but he had no idea what they meant.

He realised it was pointless for him to stay there any longer now – whatever it was that he'd seen in the clearing was gone, and this vehicle, though curious, wasn't really that far out of the ordinary in these parts. He decided he'd better get on with the job he'd been given, and when he got back to his own village he'd let the elders know about it, and they could decide what needed to be done, if anything.

But when he made his way back to the same spot just before sunset, the vehicle was gone. Not only that, someone – or something – had gone to great lengths to cover up its tracks; and as he looked anxiously around, the forest told him nothing.


End file.
